On Monday night, hundreds of people came to thank three outgoing members of the Ventura City Council for nearly seven decades of service.

They also saw history as the new board took its place on the dais.

The evening honored the service of council members Jim Monahan and Mike Tracy and Mayor Neal Andrews, who spent their last night as elected officials — at least, for now.

It was a night of firsts on several fronts. It was the first time council members representing districts were seated: Sofia Rubalcava in District 1, Erik Nasarenko in District 4, Jim Friedman in District 5 and Lorrie Brown in District 6.

Rubalcava was the first Mexican-American to join the council in recent history and Brown was the first African-American to ever be seated.

And it marked the first time a majority of the seven-member board was female.

The newly seated council unanimously chose Matt LaVere to be mayor, and in another 7-0 vote named Rubalcava deputy mayor. In Ventura, the council rather than voters picks the two positions.

“Our job, our duty, is to the city as a whole,” LaVere said after becoming mayor. “What is best for Ventura always has to be our mantra. And I think if we set that example, future councils will follow us.”

He said that the council looks different, thinks differently and has members from different backgrounds, and that diversity and collective experience will be the board’s “biggest strength.”

67 years among them

The night Monahan was sworn in for the Ventura City Council in 1977, LaVere was nothing but a “sparkle in my mom’s eye,” Lavere said.

But LaVere, like Monahan a Ventura native, grew up hearing Monahan’s name in the household. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think the two would serve together, LaVere said.

Council members spoke of Monahan’s willingness to provide tours of the west side, where he was raised, and his eagerness to provide historical references.

Tracy never got a tour of the neighborhood but said he appreciated Monahan’s support in 2009 when he first ran.

“He told me all the secrets,” even though they were running against each other, he said.

Colleagues thanked Tracy for his straightforward and candid style and his humor.

“You have kept us laughing while you have also kept us thinking,” council member Christy Weir said. She also appreciated Tracy’s commitment to public safety, infrastructure and core services, which he consistently prioritized.

Weir called Andrews a “guiding force” when it came to his focus on those less fortunate, including people who were homeless or had mental illness. Andrews also brought valuable expertise to organizational management, she said, which helped with accountability, pension reform and other things crucial to running government.

Council member Cheryl Heitmann recalled their time serving on the county’s advisory board for mental health and thanked him for bringing the Seaside Highland Games to the city.

Several people praised the three for their service, including Ojai Mayor Jimmy Johnston, who served as Ventura’s interim city manager in 2012-13; Oxnard Mayor Tim Flynn, whose family first settled in Ventura; and former Ventura council members Carl Morehouse and Brian Brennan, who also spoke on behalf of Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett.

Andrews said disagreeing was good in that it could lead to a better outcome. He urged the council to work together and to remember they served the people of Ventura.

Monahan said the years went by “in a flash.” He said he was sorry to everyone who lost their homes in the Thomas Fire and hoped to see them rebuilt.

“It won’t be whole until we get everybody back in their homes again,” he said.

Tracy urged the new council to empower city staff.

“Tell them what we want done and then hold them accountable and then get out of the way,” he said. “Get to know the staff but don’t meddle.”

A new day in Ventura

Nasarenko called serving another term a “privilege” and said he looks forward to working collaboratively on behalf of all residents.

Brown said she planned to focus on the refinement of the city’s general plan, which helps guide growth in the city, and help spur development off Johnson Drive.

“I plan to serve the people of Ventura with the intent to highlight issues ignored in the past on the east side but not them exclusively,” she said.

Friedman served on the council from 1995 to 2003 and on Monday said it was like Yogi Berra remarked: “It’s déjà vu all over again.” He said he got a good sense of the pulse of the community from visiting 2,500 homes in the district.

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(from left to right): Sofia Rubalcava, Lorrie Brown, Jim Friedman and Erik Nasarenko are sworn into the Ventura City Council on Monday night.(Photo: ARLENE MARTINEZ/THE STAR)

“I look forward to working with my colleagues collegiately and cooperatively to get some really good things done here,” he said.

Rubalcava spoke in Spanish and English. She encouraged people to bring their passions and interests and get involved.

“This doesn’t work without you,” she said. “There’s seven people up here who are making decisions but we need your input, we need your vision and we also need your work.”

High voter turnout

In 2013, 26 percent of voters showed up to cast ballots in the council race. The following year, voters approved a swap to even-year elections.

The difference that made to turnout was obvious, with nearly 73 percent of registered voters casting a ballot on Nov. 6, City Clerk Antoinette Mann said. That’s a little higher than the county turnout of around 70 percent, she said.

When Ventura was split into seven districts, the division was based on population and not number of registered voters, and there’s quite a range. In District 1, which has the fewest, there are 6,529 registered voters. In District 4, which has the highest, there are 10,605.

The top vote getter in the election was Brown, who received 3,533. Rubalcava got 1,767 votes, according to Mann.